Apparatus for separating comminuted electrical wire

ABSTRACT

A combination stratifier and sifter comprising at least one reciprocating porous table which delivers material to the sifter. A first deflector having a concave surface on its downstream side is arranged upstream and spaced above the table. A second Vshaped deflector arranged downstream of the first deflector forms part of a casing having an open side adjacent and spaced from the table. A blower directs air through the table and on both sides of the second deflector thereby blowing lights up the concave surface of the first deflector and setting up an eddy current within the casing. Air escapes from beneath the casing upstream and downstream to aid the separation.

United States Patent [191 Sosson [111, 3,823,820 [4 1 July 16, 1974 APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING COMMINUTED ELECTRICAL WIRE [76] Inventor: Guy Sosson, Chemin du Grillon,

Caluire (Rhone), France [22] Filed: Apr. 26, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 247,800

[52] U.S. Cl 209/44, 209/490, 209/492 [51] Int. Cl B07b 9/00 [58] Field of Search 209/44, 466, 492, 502, 209/490 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,123,728 1/1915 Gordon 209/466 3,734,289 5/1973 Pearman 209/502 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 2,087,091 12/1971 France 209/44 Primary Examiner-Frank W. Lutter Assistant Examiner-Ralph J. Hill Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Weiner, Basile and Weintraub [57] ABSTRACT A combination stratifier and sifter comprising at least one reciprocating porous table'which delivers material to the sifter. A first deflector having a concave surface on its downstream side is arranged upstream and spaced above the table. A second V-shaped deflector arranged downstream of the first deflector forms part of a casing having an open side adjacent and spaced from the table. A blower directs air through the table and on both sides of the second deflector thereby blowing lights up the concave surface of the first deflector and setting up an eddy current within the casing. Air escapes from beneath the casing upstream and downstream to aid the separation.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTED JUL 1 6l974 SHEET 1 BF 2 PATENTED JULI 6 I974 SHEET 2 BF 2 APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING COMMINUTED ELECTRICAL WIRE This invention relates to a process and apparatus for sorting and grading solid particles of different kinds from bulk. More particularly, although not exclusively, the invention is concerned with the recovery of the copper particles which are formed when rejected electrical cables are cut up.

it is known that when an electrical cable does not satisfy certain requirements of the. conditions for sale (puncture of the insulation at a voltage considered to be insufficient, irregularities in the thickness of the insulating material, local defect etc.,) this cable is rejected and sent to be cut up. This operation consists in cutting the cable into very short pieces which undergo a decortication operation which separates the copper core from the insulating cover, usually made of a plastics material. Used cables are similarly dealt with.

Considerable tonnages of such cables are dealt with every day and industry is faced with particles in bulk consisting of a mixture of particles of plastics material, short pieces of metal wire, and even badly decorticated pieces in which the plastics material still adheres to the metal. One known method for effecting separation consists in using a bed of a powder having a density intermediate those of copper and the plastics material. Tests show that this method is extremely time consuming and costly, the apparatus involved having a relatively low output for substantial capital investments.

It is an object of thepresent invention to obviate or mitigate these drawbacks by using a process and apparatus which makes it possible tosort and separate these particles very efficiently and which has a considerable output. Moreover, the apparatus according to the invention is relatively inexpensive, and it also allows, if desired, the particles to be graded in accordance with their granulometry.

The apparatus according to the invention for separating particles of various'densities which are present in bulk comprises a substantially horizontally orientated porous table which is reciprocated to make a particle layer thereon move forward, means for blowing a gaseous fluid through the table in an upwardly inclined direction towards the region where the particles are received on the table, a first stationary deflector provided above the porous table and having a lower edge parallel A to the table for allowing passage of the layer of particles of uniform thickness, this deflector having a concave profile with its concavity directed downstream of the flow of particles, and the lower edge of the deflector being located slightly upstream of the blowing means, and a second stationary deflector having a V-shaped section disposed above the table and the blowing means slightly downstream of the latter, which deflector has; in the opening of the V, a conveyor receiving the least dense particles, the lower end of the table terminating at a conveyor which receives the densest particles.

The lower end of the porous table is preferably connected to a vibrating sieve which allows the finest of the dense particles to fall through its meshes, the thickest particles passing over the sieve to be recovered separately.

Another aspect of the inventionconsists in placing one after the other, a plurality of apparatus according to the invention. By correctly adjusting the various pacations.

rameters of each apparatus, e.g. the'speed and output of gaseous flow, the orientation of the stationary deflectors and the mesh size of the sieve, an accurate grading may be effected, depending on the granulometry of the densest particles, after the sorting operation which separates them from the lighter particles.

The process according to the invention for sorting particles of various densities by using apparatus according to the invention is characterised in that a flow of gas directed upwardly from front to rear is blown through a porous table which gaseous flow passes through a layer of particles and causes the finest lightweight particles to be blown off along a curvedjpath defined by the concave configuration of a first deflector so as to fall directly onto a removal conveyor, the thickest of the lightweight particles accumulating and floating inan eddy of' gaseous flow defined between the. first and a second deflector, this floating accumulation of thick particles projecting roughly above the second stationary deflector so that they also fall onto the removal conveyor, .the densest particles continuing to move over the porous table, at the outlet of which they are recovered. v

' Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

- FIG. I is aview of the apparatus according to the invention and comprising two separation stages;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of a modified apparatus; and,

FIGS. 3 and 4 aresimilar views of two further modifi- FIG. 1 shows two separation stages I and 2 placed one after the other.

The stage 1 comprises a horizontal porous table 3, to which a reciprocatory vibratory movement is imparted (two-way arrow 4) to cause a mass of particles 6, placed in bulk on this table 3, to move forward in the direction of the arrow 5.

The mass 6 is a mixture of particles having various compositions and granulometries whose constituent samples have been shown on a larger scale in circles A, B, C, D and E. For. example, the particles C are constituted by dust or fine and very short pieces of copper wire; the particles D are slightly thicker pieces of copper wire; the particles E are of copper having an even I thicker granulometry. On the other hand, theparticles A are constituted by small pieces of plastics material or by flakes of cut up plastics material; the particles B comprise thicker pieces7 of plastics material and possibly badly cut up pieces 8, i.e., still-comprising a copper core surrounded by its insulating sheath of plastics material. v A

All these particles A, B," C, D, and E are mixed in bulk to constitute the mass 6 fed into the apparatus. This mass 6 begins by passing below the lower transverse edge 9 of a concave cylindrical deflector 10. This deflector is mounted on a stationary post and has its concavity directed downstream.

- A second deflector 11 having a transverse V-shaped section is also placed above the porous table 3, downstream of the first deflector l0. The mouth of the shaped section of the deflector 11 is facing downstream. r

In the mouth of this deflector ll, i.e., below its upper edge 12, there is disposed an endless removal conveyor 3 belt 13 which circulates in transverse direction, i.e., perpendicular to the plane of the drawing.

There is placed beneath the porous and vibrating table 3, between the deflectors 9 and 11 a nozzle 14 which blows compressed air. The jet of air from this nozzle is obliquely orientated in upward direction and from front to rear relative to the direction of the flow (arrow The jet of airthus passes through the thickness of the table 3, through the particles placed on the latter between the deflectors l0 and 11, and passes over and around the concave face of the deflector 10.

At the outlet end of the table 3, there is disposed a fine-meshed sieve 15. Preferably, a reciprocatory movement is imparted to this sieve (two-way arrow 16).

At the outlet end of the sieve 16, a layer of particles 17 is recovered which is fed to the second sorting stage 2. This layer 17 moves across the porous and vibrating table 23 of the stage 2 (vibratory movement diagrammatically illustrated by the two-way arrow 24), then it passes below the lower edge 29 of a stationary deflector 30, is subjected to the action of the jet of air blown by an inclined nozzle 34, passes below the lower edge of a second deflector 31, then leaves the table 23 so as to pass over a sieve 35 to which a reciprocatory movement is imparted (two-way arrow 36).

At the outlet end of the sieve 36, there'is recovered on a vibrating table 38, a layer of particles 39 having the compositionE, and whichis received in a container 40.

Behind the deflector 31 of the stage 2 is placed a removal conveyor 33 which comprises, for example, an endless belt. v

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

The mass 6 which is present in bulk, passing beneath the edge 9 ofthe deflector l0 defines a layer 41 of measured thickness through which the jet of air, from the nozzle 14, passes. This jet ofair immediately causes the lightest particles or flakes 42 to blow away. These flakes are formed from cut up plastics material. On the other hand, the heavier particles of plastics material accumulate in the form of a mass 43 which floats in the eddy of air between the deflectors l0 and 11. As the mass 43 of particles is fed from underneath with other similar particles, the mass projects above the upper edge 12 ofthe deflector 11, and falls onto the conveyor 13 (arrow 44). The flakes 42, having followed the concavity of the deflector also fall on this same conveyor 13. The mixture of particles 42 and 43 forms the output defined by reference A.

On the other hand. the particles of copper of the layer 41 pass through the current of air without losing contact with the porous table 3. They pass below the lower edge of the deflector 11 and arrive on the sieve 15. The finest particles of copper pass through this sieve into a container 45 to form a pile of which C represents a sample.

The thickestparticles of copper leave the sieve without having passed therethrough and form the layer 17. This layer may still contain a few thick particles of insulating plastics material. it passes beneath the lower edge 29 of the deflector 30 and the current of air blown by the nozzle 34 causes the particles of plastics material still contained in the sheet to blow away. The lightest of these particles (reference 46) blow away firstfollowing the concavity of the deflector 30; the heaviest accumulate inthe form of a mass 47 which gradually projects above the upper edge of the deflector 31. All these particles 46 and 47 fall on the removal conveyor 33 forming a mixture of which B is a sample.

The particles of copper which arrive beneath the lower edge of the deflector 31 pass over the sieve 35. The time ta l n a c niainets isampl .D) W i e the thickest leave the sieve 35 so as to pass over the vibrating table 38 and to be collected in the last container 40 (sample E).

If it is desired to continue the separation further, the particles B recovered on the conveyor 33- may be again subjected to a breaking up operation. This further breaking up operation will cut up the residual particles 8 which will then be recycled; i.e., introduced with the mass 6 into the stage 1 (arrow 5).

it can be seen that the apparatus according to the invention makes it possible not only to separate the copper and particles of plastics material but even to grade by granulometry the various constituent particles A, B, C, D, E. 1

Naturally, this process and apparatus could be used to separate particles of various kinds. Likewise, there could be more than two succeeding stages.

PK]. 2 shows a modification in which the first nozzle 14 blows a very violent current of air. Consequently, all the particles 50 and 51. blow away with the exception of the very thick and heavy particles designated by reference 52. These coarse particles are sorted by a sieve 53 having a large mesh size which makes it possible to recover:

on.the one hand, after passage through the sieve 53, a sample F grouping the thick pieces of decorticated copper; and

on. the other hand, at the outlet 21 sample G which has not passed through the sieve 52 and constituted by large pieces of copper, still surrounded with plastics material.

The majority of the particles which are blown away (reference numerals 50 and 51) fall on a fixed or vibrating plate 54 which directs them in bulk towards the porous table of a sorting stage as described with reference to FIG. 1. For example, the table 3 of the stage 1 makes it possible to again obtain samples A and C'and, at the outlet, a sample H of particles having an intermediate granulometry and density.

In the modification of FIG. 3 apparatus is used as in FIG. 1, but providing behind each deflector 11 and 31,

a fluid-tight casing 60 or 61 only the lower face of which is open above the airinlet nozzle 62 or 63.

The casing 60 has an upper wall which receives the particles A and directs them towards the conveyor 13. This casing 60 is integral with the deflector 11 and it opens towards the-bottom above a mixing region comprising the porous wall 64 of the table 3 and a solid and fluidtight lower edge 65. Moreover, the mouth of the air inlet nozzle 62 opens beneath the porous wall 64, on both sidesof the lower tip of the deflector 11.

In these conditions, the air blown by the nozzle 62 is distributed in the following manner:

a leakage 66 occurs downstream in the clearance located belowthe casing 66 and above the wall 64;

or el part of this air maintains the over-pressurizing M the internal space of the casing 60, possibly creating an eddy current 67;

one part 69 escapes upstream along the outer wall of the deflector 11 to mix with the air 68 directly blown in, which increases the eddy current while improving the sorting phenomenon.

Likewise, the casing 61 is placed above a nozzle 63 which blows on both sides of the deflector 31. The latter is open towards the bottom, facing the porous wall 70 of the table 23 and facing one solid fluid-tight edge 71 in which it terminates.

In the modification of FIG. 4 a similar arrangement is used, in which the nozzles 62 and 63 blow on both sides of the deflectors 11 and 31, incorporated in the casings 60 and 61. Moreover, the porous tables also terminate in solid edges 65 and 71.

The operation of the apparatus of FIGS. 3 and 4 is similar to that of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2, except for the difference that it ensures a more effieient sorting for certain materials (in particular for the recovery and sorting of aluminium particles).

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for separating particles of different densities, which are present in bulk, said apparatus comprising a substantially horizontally orientated porous table, means for reciprocating the table to cause a layer of particles to move across the table, means for blowing a gaseous fluid upwardly through the table in an upwardly inclined orientation towards the entry end of the table, a first stationary deflector located above the porous table and having a lower edge parallel to the table to permit passage therebetween of a uniform thickness layer of particles, this first deflector having a concave profile and being disposed with its concavity directed downstream of the flow of particles, and the lower edge of this first deflector being disposed upstream relative to the blowing means, a second stationary deflector having a V-Shaped section located above the table and the blowing means downstream of the latter, a conveyor for receiving the least dense particles arranged behind the opening of the V, a conveyor at the exit end of the table to receive the densest particles: and a casing opened at its bottom and incorporated in the lower part of the second deflector, the lower edge of the latter being in the path of the jet of air blown from the blowing means, such said jet ofair is blown on both sides of said second deflector whereby a portion of said jet of air overpressurizes the inside of the casing and defines an auxiliary flow of air along a face upstream of the second deflector.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 in which the exit end of the porous table is connected to a vibrating sieve which causes the finest of the dense particles to fall through its meshes, the thickest particles passing over the sieve to be recovered separately.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which the porous wall of the table terminates above the outlet of the blowing means in an impermeable edge located downstream of the nozzle, and the lower opening of the mg? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent x0. 3,823,820 Dat d July 16, 1974 Inventor(s) Guy 'SOSSON It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

On the title sheet, left column, beneath "[76] Inventor: Guy Sosson, Chemin du Grillon,

Caluire' (Rhone) France" insert E731 Assignee: SOCIETE DE RECUPERA'I'ION INDUSTRIELLE DE PRODUITS SIDERURGIQUES R.I.P.S. Lyon (Rhone) France.

Signed and sealed this 12th day of November 1974.

(SEAL) Attest: McCOY M. GIBSON JR. c. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. Apparatus for separating particles of different densities, which are present in bulk, said apparatus comprising a substantially horizontally orientated porous table, means for reciprocating the table to cause a layer of particles to move across the table, means for blowing a gaseous fluid upwardly through the table in an upwardly inclined orientation towards the entry end of the table, a first stationary deflector located above the porous table and having a lower edge parallel to the table to permit passage therebetween of a uniform thickness layer of particles, this first deflector having a concave profile and being disposed with its concavity directed downstream of the flow of particles, and the lower edge of this first deflector being disposed upstream relative to the blowing means, a second stationary deflector having a V-Shaped section located above the table and the blowing means downstream of the latter, a conveyor for receiving the least dense particles arranged behind the opening of the V, a conveyor at the exit end of the table to receive the densest particles: and a casing opened at its bottom and incorporated in the lower part of the second deflector, the lower edge of the latter being in the path of the jet of air blown from the blowing means, such said jet of air is blown on both sides of said second deflector whereby a portion of said jet of air overpressurizes the inside of the casing and defines an auxiliary flow of air along a face upstream of the second deflector.
 2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 in which the exit end of the porous table is connected to a vibrating sieve which causes the finest of the dense particles to fall through its meshes, the thickest particles passing over the sieve to be recovered separately.
 3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which the porous wall of the table terminates above the outlet of the blowing means in an impermeable edge located downstream of the nozzle, and the lower opening of the deflector casing. 